Thursday, July 21, 2016

Thursday Movie Picks - Summer Camp

Written as part of the weekly blogathon hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves. Come and join the fun by picking three movies that fit the week's theme and saying a bit about them!

It's summertime, y'all! And you know what that means....

SUMMER CAMP!

For two summers when I was a teenager (plus a third which was spent abroad with the same kids), I went to sleepaway camp, and I can honestly say they were formative summers for me. That was when I finally started to "come into my own", and it might have taken a stronger hold if the friends I made at camp hadn't lived so far away. I still remember practically every bit of those summers even now so many years later, mostly with fondness.

Which is more than the kids in these movies can probably say...

Addams Family Values (Barry Sonnenfeld, 1993) I really can't with how brilliantly funny this film is. I love the first Addams Family movie a lot, but this is the rare great sequel that works precisely because it dials everything great about the first one up to eleven. Paul Rudnick's script is chock full of gags and laugh lines, and the entire cast is gold. None more so than Joan Cusack as the demonically nice "Black Widow" who sets her sights on Uncle Fester, and of course Christina Ricci, who is so brilliant as Wednesday that I knew even as a nine year-old when this came out that she was a great actress. The scenes at the moronically chipper summer camp are for the ages.

Camp (Todd Graff, 2003) I will say this about Camp: This is a movie that, on paper, I should love. I mean, the whole thing is about a musical theater camp and it deals with issues of sexuality that would naturally arise in such a setting, and deals with them in very adult ways. But I don't. Something about it never quite comes together for me... maybe too much of it is too obvious? Maybe too many of the actors are too green? I don't know. But the musical numbers are pretty damn good, and Anna Kendrick is KILLER as the (probably criminally) insane Fritzi, delivering a ridiculously age-inappropriate, unbelievably good "The Ladies Who Lunch". Basically, when Camp is good, it's VERY good, but when it's not, it's terrible.

Stage Fright (Jerome Sable, 2014) I know what you're thinking: A musical comedy slasher flick? That sounds AWFUL! And make no mistake: Stage Fright is so bad it's AWESOME. The musical numbers are (mostly) a blast, the acting is 80s-slasher-flick level bad, and the whole thing approaches a level of camp not usually seen in a horror film (let alone most modern movie musicals). Above all, this is a movie that knows it's pretty bad, and has a LOT of fun with that. It should be a guilty pleasure, but I don't feel guilty about liking this one at all.

20 comments:

I haven't seen Stage Fright, but I do love me some "so bad it's awesome!" I liked Anna Kendrick in Camp, but the rest of the movie wasn't very memorable. It's been years since I've seen the Addams Family movies. I loved those as a kid.

Love that you chose Addams Family Values! Those camp scenes are the best, mostly thanks to Christina Ricci. Haven't seen Stage Fright but it sounds bizarre. We match!! I agree Camp isn't top flight stuff but agree with your assessment that the parts that are good are very good.

Camp (2003)-At Camp Ovation, a summer theatre camp for young performers, a diverse group of kids come together and though at first there are tensions they eventually form close friendships. During their time there they also influence one of the counselors who has grown bitter with regret to move forward with his life. Because the film is just a little rough around the edges it makes the story and the kids much more real.

Indian Summer (1993)-A group of young adults (including Diane Lane, Bill Paxton and Elizabeth Perkins) gather at Camp Tamakwa outside Ontario where they spent their summers as kids for a 20th reunion. While they spend time reminiscing they also deal with problems of their present lives and try and find a way to keep the camp from closing down permanently.

Marjorie Morningstar (1958)-Beautiful college student Marjorie Morgenstern (Natalie Wood) spends her summer as a camp counselor at a Catskills resort. While there she becomes enamored with a performer at the camp, Noel Airman (Gene Kelly) a caddish older man who doesn’t take the romance seriously. Returning home Marjorie is pressured by her parents to marry and settle down. Still carrying a torch for Noel she pursues an acting career as Marjorie Morningstar while trying to make a relationship with the older man work. Various complications ensue including her Jewish parents objections to the Gentile Noel. Adaptation of a Herman Wouk novel has a rich studio look and a great cast, aside from Natalie and Gene there’s Claire Trevor, Carolyn Jones, Martin Balsam and a host of recognizable character actors.

Nothing beats camp chippewa and they're amazing Thanksgiving play in the middle of summer. I remember wanting to see Camp in the cinema but it had such a short run. Minnie Driver is in Stage Fright? I;m in!

hehehe YES! I LOVED that the did a Thanksgiving play in the freaking summer.

Minnie Driver plays the mother of Stage Fright's lead, who was mysteriously murdered during a production of the notorious musical "Haunting of the Opera" years ago, and is (of course) no being put on by this stupid summer camp. She's really good in it.

OMG, Dell. Stage Fright is AMAZING. I mean, the slasher killer goes on this rampage in part because he hates musicals and his songs are all "death metal". It is GREAT. Very much a loving tribute to the 80s summer camp slasher flicks.

I also picked Addams Family Values and I agree with what you wrote about that film. I don't think I will see the other 2 but if I had to decide I would choose that horrible one because it looks just so bad. Where did Minnie Driver's career go?:)

I feel bad for Minnie Driver's career, but that's what seems to happen to all actresses who were lucky enough to be sexy-sexy in their 20s. As soon as they hit 30 they have to go to TV if they want to do anything interesting, and even then they're still playing mothers.

Stage Fright sounds great! For some reason I didn't know it existed until you mentioned it, thanks! I didn't see the Addams' sequel since I didn't like the first one, but it seems like I should give it a go.

I so wish I'd gone to summer camp as a kid. I only went once when I was really young and barely remember it. As for your picks, I've only seen Addams Family Values, which is fucking genius! So good job!

About Me

Performer since birth, tap dancer since the age of 10. Life-long book-lover. Film obsessive. Frustrated artist since college graduation. Non-profit database specialist by day, tap teacher by night, Netflix binge-watcher by weekend.